On July 3, Beijing time, the high-profile U17 Men's Basketball World Cup ushered in a 16-8 knockout round. The Chinese team had an up-and-down run in the tournament, first showing their strength and potential with a shock win over a strong French team, but then losing to the United States by 84 points in their last game, raising concerns about their prospects. Today is an extremely crucial game, if you lose, you have to go home, and the boys of the Chinese team are under a lot of pressure.
In this game, the opponent of the Chinese team is Lithuania, a strong team from Europe. After the start of the game, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle. The Chinese men's basketball team showed a strong desire to attack in the opening stage, constantly attacking Lithuania's basket and taking a 9-2 lead. However, the Lithuanian team was not disrupted, and they quickly adjusted their strategy and responded quickly with consecutive penalties to chase the score back.
Entering the second quarter, the Chinese team suddenly fell into a scoring drought, scoring only 2 points in 6 minutes, while the Lithuanian team blossomed inside and out, blasting out a wave of 18-2 offensive frenzy, and achieved a double-digit advantage in one fell swoop. Although Zhang Boyuan and Li Yuezhou then hit three-pointers in quick succession to break the scoring drought, the Chinese team still trailed 29-39 at halftime.
Yibian fought again, and the Chinese team strengthened the intensity of attack and defense, and quickly approached the score with penalties. However, the Lithuanian team relied on excellent outside shooting ability to maintain the lead throughout. In the final quarter, the Chinese team strengthened its defense and used counterattack opportunities to continuously narrow the difference. As the game deepened, the competition between the two sides became more and more intense, and at the critical moment, the Lithuanian team scored 4 points in a row with free throws and took a 4-point lead.
In the end, the Chinese team made a mistake in a crucial attack, and Liu Li was whistled for a covering foul and lost valuable possession. As the final whistle blew, the Chinese U17 men's basketball team lost to the Lithuanian team with a score of 70-76, ending their World Cup journey. This defeat is undoubtedly a heavy blow for the young Chinese team, but it also provides valuable experience and lessons for their future development.
In this game, the Chinese team lost very badly. In this game, the Chinese men's basketball team led by 3 points in the last 2 and a half minutes, and then Lithuania played a wave of 11-2, and finally the men's basketball team lost by 6 points. It can be said that the difference between victory and defeat is only a millimeter. The Chinese team lost the game, but they played a different mental outlook from the previous game. Chinese men's basketball player Zhang Boyuan performed remarkably, especially on the offensive end, playing 35 minutes with 10 of 22 shots, 3 of 12 three-pointers, and 5 of 6 free throws, scoring a game-high 28 points, plus 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
Zhang Boyuan's style of play is reminiscent of Ding Yanyuhang, the Chinese men's basketball team has not seen this kind of all-round forward for a long time since he was a child. This young man with a big heart will definitely shine in the future. I hope that the boys of the Chinese team will not be discouraged, make persistent efforts, and welcome a hopeful future.
Chinese men's basketball statistics: Zhang Boyuan 28 points and 6 boards, Li Yuezhou 11 points, 5 boards and 4 assists, He Wenwei 2 points and 5 assists, Xun Sinan 4 points, 3 boards and 4 hats, Liu Li 9 points and 5 boards, Chen Yixiao 8 points, Wang Hongze 6 points and 2 boards.